Blood Tests: The Complete Guide to Types, Results, Preparation, and What They Mean

In addition to symptoms, medical history, and clinical examination, doctors need more precise tests to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. Blood tests of various types are among the most common tests that doctors across all specialties order to help identify many underlying diseases and verify their diagnoses.

What Are Blood Tests?

Blood tests are usually performed to assess health or determine the cause of certain symptoms. They involve examining a small sample of the patient’s blood by measuring various blood parameters with specific reagents and devices for each test, and comparing the results with normal levels.

Why Blood Tests Are Done

The components and contents of the blood provide a complete indication of a person’s overall health; therefore, the patient is advised to undergo medical tests in the following cases:

• Routine Medical Check-up

During a routine check-up, your doctor may ask you to have some blood tests, such as a complete blood count (CBC) to evaluate several components of your blood, or metabolic tests.

• Preventive blood tests

These are blood tests that help in the early detection of certain diseases, such as cancer or viral infections, especially if the patient is at risk of developing these diseases.

• Feeling unwell and uncomfortable

If specific symptoms appear, your doctor may order some blood tests to determine the cause. For example, if a woman experiences symptoms that might indicate pregnancy, a pregnancy test will be performed to confirm the presence of the pregnancy hormone (either quantitatively or qualitatively).

• Follow-up of a chronic medical condition

Patients with chronic diseases who follow ongoing treatment plans need to do blood tests at regular intervals to evaluate the treatment plan and adjust the therapeutic doses, such as in diabetes, kidney, and liver diseases.

Types of Blood Tests

There are countless types of blood tests performed daily in medical laboratories. The most common are:

1. CBC Test

It is the most common complete blood picture test that counts the number of blood cells in your blood sample to check for some conditions, such as anemia, leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, etc.

2. Renal Panel

To assess kidney health and function by measuring creatinine, urea, and BUN, along with some electrolytes such as K and Na.

3. Diabetes tests

These include several types of blood tests, the specific ones required depending on the patient’s condition, such as random blood sugar, fasting blood sugar, postprandial blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin levels, and others.

4. Hormone tests

These include measuring the levels of many endocrine and non-endocrine hormones, which help assess many bodily functions, such as TSH, T3, T4, PTH, cortisol, ACTH, fertility hormones for men and women, and others.

5. Liver Panel

Tests to assess liver function include tests for liver enzymes, bilirubin, total protein, albumin, and globulin.

6. Lipid Profile

Here, the levels of total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and triglycerides are measured.

7. STD tests

Tests for sexually transmitted diseases help detect the genetic material [antigens] or antibodies of the microorganism causing the disease, whether bacteria or a virus.

Preparing for a Blood Test

Certain precautions must be taken before conducting the test, depending on its type, as follows:

• Fast for 8-10 hours before the fasting blood sugar test
• Fast for 12-14 hours before the lipid profile test.
• Stop taking antibiotics for 72 hours before performing the culture and sensitivity test.

Rest assured that your healthcare provider will tell you about any precautions or conditions necessary for any test before it is performed.

What Happens During the Test

During the blood test, you will undergo the following procedures:

• The nurse or healthcare provider draws a venous or arterial blood sample after thoroughly cleaning and sterilizing the puncture site, then begins to draw the sample.
• The nurse will give you a piece of cotton or a small medical bandage to cover the area where the blood sample was drawn.
• The blood sample is placed in the appropriate tube, as some blood tests require the tube to contain a specific anticoagulant, while others do not.
• The blood sample is then sent directly to the medical laboratory to be prepared for the test procedures.
• Then the laboratory specialist uses the blood sample with some reagents and uses semi-automatic or fully automatic devices to determine levels of certain substances in the blood and compare them with normal results.

Results and Follow-Up

Most blood test results are available on the same day, while some tests, such as genetic tests, take longer.

The results are sent to the patient via WhatsApp or delivered in hard copy from the lab.

The patient’s doctor will compare the test results with normal ranges. If they are within the normal range, the patient will usually not need any further procedures.

However, if the results are outside the normal ranges, the patient will be directed to follow a specific treatment plan, or further tests and examinations may be ordered to understand the health case completely.

How to Book a Blood Test

You can book an appointment for a blood test through:

• Contact the medical center by phone or WhatsApp, or book a blood test online.
• Specify the type of service you require, whether it’s a blood test at home or a visit to the medical center, and clearly define the specific blood tests needed.
• From the available appointment schedule, select a suitable time and choose your payment method. Don’t forget to confirm your appointment and follow any instructions provided by the service provider.
• The blood sample will be taken at the scheduled time, whether from the comfort of your home or any other location, while adhering to all health and safety precautions.
• Finally, the service provider will explain when the test results will be sent to you.

Why Choose Lana Life Care for Blood Tests?

Obtaining Home Health Care in Dubai, where patients are in the comfort of their homes without traffic congestion or boring waiting, requires reliable, specialized medical centers such as Lana Life Care that provide all home health care services across the UAE with the utmost accuracy by DHA-licensed medical teams.

As for the blood test at home in Dubai, we provide the most accurate, safe, fast, and professional service, and you can book your blood test anytime throughout the day, 24/7, at very affordable prices. We aim to offer accuracy, safety, and comfort that our valued clients deserve.

FAQs

How can I book a blood test with Lana Life Care?

Contact us via phone number, WhatsApp, or book your blood test online via the website.

What does it mean if my results are abnormal?

You may have a health disorder that requires a certain treatment.

How often should I have blood tests done?

For healthy people, once or twice a year; for people with chronic disease, 3 or 4 times a year.

Are home blood tests accurate?

Yeah, provided that booking the service with a trusted and certified medical center like Lana Life Care

How long do blood test results take?

It depends on the type of test, but most results usually appear on the same day; while others take longer, perhaps a few days or more.

 

 

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